The Crossing's "Reach Report"

Tracking everything ~ THE REACH REPORT

• First-time Guest Calls
• Weekend Connect Calls/Conversations
• Invite people to worship & ask who they are reaching
• Campus Pastor is expected to do 50 calls and Staff Members are expected to do 10.
• Volunteer Calls/Conversations
• Invite people to join a your/a team.
• Expectation is 3 PER WEEK!
• List the names of those you invited to church or shared Christ with this week
• Campus Pastor is expected to do 10 and Staff Members are expected to do 1-3.
• Also must list notes about your conversation.  (Gee...anyone else feel a bit violated?)
• Name 3 Volunteers you thanked (Good!  You're killing these people so the least you can do is thank them!  And then ask them to do more I'm sure.)
• Name the person you sat with in a service or personally influenced to fill a seat.
• Name one thing you did to go out of your way to build a connection with a lost person this week (Nice except they are just a number to fill a seat, bring to Christ, force to volunteer and rake in the tithe money!)
• Name one of the ways you used social media to influence people this week.  (Oh yes, your Facebook/Instagram/Twitter is not yours ~ The Crossing owns you.)
• Name one person you met in the lobby this week.

Cabin Services at The Crossing Church

Can't make it to the week end services?  Have no worries...The Crossing Church now has "Cabin Services" on Wednesday nights!  So why would they need to do this if you can always hear the talks online later?

MONEY

The entire reason for these Cabin Services is because when you are not there on the week end you don't tithe, so this is their tricky way of making sure they get your money.

Have you noticed how often tithing (money) is spoken about at The Crossing Church?  They weave it into everything to inundate you with the same message so you'll feel you have to give.  It's manipulation and it's wrong.

Do you think I'm wrong?  Ask them.  Ask them point blank if the Cabin Services are to get more money.  Ask all the hard questions that are eating at you.  Ask about the concerns you have with the church that you are afraid to talk about.  Ask yourself why you are afraid to speak.

You can leave The Crossing Church

Does something feel off to you but you can't put your finger on it?  Well it's because a lot is wrong.  

Are you afraid to ask questions?  Why would that be?  Ask for detailed financial reports, ask about the WCCO news reports, ask about the blogs...and see what happens.

Are you scared to say "no" to their requests to serve more?  To give more?

Are you being asked to act with Radical Faith per their code; and you don't want to?  You don't have to.

What happens when you attempt to say "no"?  Are you shamed?  Blamed?  Even threatened?

You can leave The Crossing Church.  Really, you can.  You are not under their authority.  God isn't going to punish you.  You can leave.

Join us in the Back Alley....it's nice...you can breathe again.

The Crossing Church - Exhausting their Volunteers

Hey Crossing Church Volunteers ~ You must be so tired.  You are serving until exhaustion and it's still not enough, right?  Did you make all your calls?  Did you 'reach' enough people?  (And do you have documentation to prove this?)  Serving week ends, mandatory Community of Leaders meetings and now the Wednesday night "Cabin Services" (which you know are only to bring in more tithe money), not to mention any other random event that can't go on without you.  Open a new location and you have to be there to fill the seats.  Add on the mental exhaustion of emails reprimanding you for not doing enough, not doing it the way they want and additional financial burdens of penalties for not living up to their code of the moment.

Is all this serving for Jesus (Eric & Kelly Dykstra) worth it?  Are you happy? 

 

Kelly says in her recent sermon (minute 25:11) "on a monthly basis staff members have conversations with people who are leaving the church because they got their feelings hurt, there was a misunderstanding, they were asked to volunteer too much and didn't want to say 'no'..."

They didn't want to say "no" to volunteering too much or felt they couldn't say "no"?  Is "No, I don't want to volunteer." even an option?  

Tithe and Serve is the battle cry at The Crossing and will be slammed into with every sermon and now ever Section Leader.  Try and say "no" and tell me what happens.

Kelly Dykstra asked on her Instagram today:

"What things make you happy? What do they cost you?Are they worth the cost?"

Serving them is costing you your family, your money and your life.  Again, I can't stress this enough, you can leave!!  

Tracking your every move at The Crossing Church

So you'd like to go to church, stay a little under the radar and then go about your life?  Not at The Crossing Church, as your every move is now being tracked.  Lets break down how it now works:

Well you already know about the seat Nazis; you aren't allowed to be a grown up and pick the seat of your choosing as you are told where you will sit.  This is done for two reasons; first, to make the room look filled and create an excited energy from being packed together, second, is for you to start submitting to their self-claimed authority over you.

Now along with your assigned seat comes the new Section Leaders.  This is the brain child of mega-church pastor Bill Hybels.  As you can see in this video, he explains that the entire church will be broken out into sections and each section will have a leader.  He wants every person that comes in the church to be 'touched' by someone and welcomed.  Sounds nice, right?  Not really.  The Section Leaders are then responsible for reciting scripted messages, usually about serving or tithing, to their sections and making those numbers happen. They'll speak to you as if they have some special thoughts from their heart but they have been given the exact words to say.  If they see a new person they are to stop any conversation they are having and try and get that new person to their section.  So of course numbers in each section are tracked, how many people they speak to are tracked and how many conversations they have outside of church are tracked.  More people in the door means more tithe money coming in.  Are you seeing the manipulation now?

When you don't show up the next week you are called as you're now on their radar.  It's all done under the guise of "we miss you" but what they miss is that you are a number and their numbers went down when you weren't there.  It's all false caring and it's fucking hurtful.

I'll say it again and I won't stop saying it ~ YOU CAN LEAVE!  You may feel you have to stay, you may feel you have nowhere else to go, you may feel stuck but you aren't.  People will not go to hell because you leave The Crossing Church.  God is not going to be angry if you make a decision for yourself.  You are not alone and you will be just fine.  Really.

It's time to wake up, Crossing Church!

It's time to wake up, Crossing Church!  You are being manipulated, used and even extorted by the leadership of The Crossing Church of Elk River, Minnesota; most specifically Eric and Kelly Dykstra.  Your time, your resources, and of course your money, are being bled dry by this church.  

Ask yourself these questions and see what answers you come up with (Be honest!  Jesus is watching!):
How many hours of your time is spent in service to The Crossing Church?  This includes inviting people to church, calling people and doing all their marketing for them.

How much money are you giving to The Crossing Church?  How much is above the required Old Testament mandate of giving "10% of your fields".  Give Eric a bail of hay next time you see him and enjoy that reaction!

How many emails, calls and verbal reprimands are you treated to in a week?  How many forms do you need to fill out for their approval?  What are the repercussions of not doing these things?

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30 - 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Does anything about your current experience feel "light"? I know you are tired.  Exhausted in fact.  But you have been so completely brainwashed that the church, The Crossing Church, is the only hope for the world and you feel everyone's fate rides on your shoulders.

You always want to do something amazing, right?  This is another part that lures you in.  "We have a vision from God!  We're going to be a church of 20,000!"  Or is it 10,000?  I heard God's been changing the numbers recently.  Check with Eric, as God's only speaking to him.

Compare your life to Eric & Kelly's:
Are you frequently traveling and vacationing?
Dining out at fine restaurants?

Living large?  (They sure are!)
You may be angry at me for saying it, or not agree with my methods, but am I wrong?  Come on; am I wrong!?!

You do not have to stay there.  God is not going to punish you for leaving.  Are you scared?  (Most are when they leave The Crossing Church)  I'd be happy to talk to you and will keep it fully anonymous.  TFTBA@mail.com  It's YOUR life!  Eric & Kelly Dykstra have not been placed in authority over you by God...YOU gave them that authority and you can take it away.

Get out.  Be free.  It's a much happier place to be.  

The Crossing Church wants your money right away!

The Crossing Church of Elk River, Minnesota wants your money.  $ Money $ Money $ Money $  But they don't simply want you to ask you for your hard earned cash after the sermon because there is a possibility you may leave before their 5 minute (10 minute, upwards of 15 minutes!) tithing speech.  So now you'll notice they do the push for money during worship time; "as part of the worship experience".

You understand this is all cleverly orchestrated to manipulate you, right?  This isn't God speaking on their behalf.  You have a Section Leader (oh yes, we'll be talking about the 'Sections' very soon) who has been given a script on what to say to you, which ties into the tithe talk and sermon.  Have you noticed the forced clapping as they do the offering?  Again, this is more subtle manipulation for you to give a conditioned response (giving them money) when you make this motion each time.

Eric and Kelly Dykstra are using you!  Wake up!

Money and The Crossing Church

This will be short and to the point; I see my views are way up, as well as views on blog posts linked to mine, and most specifically the posts about money.  So what's up Crossing Church people?  Eric & Kelly laying the manipulation on thick to tithe more?  This would be typical timing as they'll want more money before a kick off event around back to school.
Now as always I do have to point out that the Dykstra's are never lacking in funds for their own vacations and spending.  Tell me Crossing Church givers: how many trips have you taken this year?  Are you giving way over 10% of your income, struggling to make ends meet, and curious as to why the Dykstra's continue to live large on your dime?  Good questions.

If you would like to contact me please email to: TFTBA@mail.com

You may keep all anonymity and I will never disclose anything you tell me not to say.  I've run this blog for 6 years to help people leave the manipulation of The Crossing Church.  I'm here to help.

A few pics of Eric & Kelly living high off the hog....using your tithe money.  All for Jesus!  Right?